The Thing about Simplicity
by Jade Maxwell
Summary: Temari reflects on her battle with TenTen; later she visits the hospital. (one-sided TemaTen)
1. Default Chapter

**The Thing about Simplicity**

Status: One-shot

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Warnings: Yuri (TemaTen or more easily known as Temari/TenTen), one-sided, angst, anger, and Temari POV. Probably **_spoilers_** for the episode.

Notes: While watching the 43rd episode of Naruto (which is the fight between Temari and TenTen), I was itching to write a small one-shot for it. And before I had seen the episode I had been saying how I could see me writing a lot for the couple. So, here it is!

Summary: Temari reflects on her battle with TenTen; later she visits the hospital.

*~*~*

            After the long battle between the Haruno girl and the Yamanaka girl my name appeared on the screen along with TenTen. As I saw her name on the screen I instantly I knew I would win. Not that the girl wasn't strong, oh no she was terrifyingly strong and would appear that way against any other opponent. Her skill with a multitude of weapons is amazingly beautiful. Her perfect control of her chakra is simplistically wonderful. Agile, intelligent, and strong. Against me though, she had no comparison. I am better than her on levels she can't even imagine. Maybe she can, and is as arrogant in her perceptions of herself as I am? Or maybe, just maybe she doesn't have to imagine because she was observing me, like I was her?

            I highly doubt it though. I would have noticed if those beautiful brown eyes were watching me. Watching me with the intense and open look she gave everything. Even when her colorless lips curl into a smile directed at her teammates. Her eyes are always intense, always seeing what others don't see. And she thinks that no one notices the way she opens herself to the events happening around her, but I do. I don't watch the battles below. Not even my brother's. No, I watch her as she watches the battles. I see the battles through her reactions.

            She much more closed than I had originally perceived. I first noticed it when we fought. The way she chose her attacks with precision, no hesitation, but she held back her powers of really seeing. If she hadn't tried to close herself off, she would've seen what I was doing. When we battled though I could see right through her techniques, but I am stronger than her. Still, she tried so hard to not show her thoughts. Or her reactions. It strained her, pulled her back somehow. I'm sure the battle would have been less of a bore for me if she hadn't tried so hard to close herself off from me. There were times when I wanted to tell her to just let go. Open up like you would when you observe others fight. Observe yourself like you observed Uchiha Sasuke and his teammates.

            Instead I held up my arrogant, cold persona and beat her. I had of course warned her about seeing all three marks on my fan. In a roundabout way trying to get her stop before she met my ultimate attack. I guess after observing her I came to feel something akin to…like for her. Oh, I was attracted to her. Attracted to her plain, simplistic beauty. A beauty that fit her so well. Something that very few would notice right away. Maybe When I told her about the three marks on my fan I was trying to keep myself from hurting her or worse…killing her.

            And I knew in a single moment that if I didn't keep the monster inside of myself contained I would kill her. I would enjoy it too. Enjoy watching her lifeless brown eyes drain of color. Her body becoming a soulless shell. A single tear of blood leaking from her mouth. Afterwards would have been the worst part, for I would be able to remember the way her body fell. Or the way she would probably throw a regret filled glance at the Hyuga boy. I would always remember that I enjoyed taking her life. And I would regret it like nothing else. For deep down I never wanted to be like Gaara. I never wanted to have the **need** to kill.

            When she ignored my warning I was angry. The anger flared up in my heart like sun hot sand. Melting and forming a glass shell. Trying to free the monster inside me that wanted this beautifully graceful young woman's blood. I deflected her weapons with ease and was forced to attack. A force that came easily enough. Leaving one mark to be shown. I wanted to warn her again; instead I just smirked at her attempt to beat me again. A rather intelligent attack, but I was stronger and my fan was ready.

            As my chakra powered tornado hit her I felt a deep relief. The battle was over, but I would have to teach her a lesson. The demon living in my heart behind the anger blasted glass made of sand demanded it. For if I could not kill the girl, I would hurt her like she has never been hurt before. As I watched her body torn and battered in the wind I closed my fan. Setting the bottom level against the arena floor. And her soon to be bruised body fell with a resounding gasp on the end of my fan. Bending her awkwardly at the spine. She coughed up blood before passing out.

            I'll always remember the way she looked then. Her face pale in the dim arena light. Beautifully simple brown eyes closed in unconsciousness. Colorless lips crusting with her blood. Muscular arms hanging limply behind her, legs curled towards my fan. Spine bent backwards to the maximum before the vertebrae were crushed. Her dark brown hair still being held back in buns. At the time I had the insane urge to unravel the buns and pull her hair free. See if it was as soft and vibrant as the rest of her personality.

            Vaguely I was aware that this meant I had won. That I had beaten this wonderfully unique young woman. Suddenly I was so disgusted with myself for not killing her. Although I knew I didn't want to. I just couldn't believe that the one time I was fighting at my best I hadn't killed her. And the battle had been so short; leaving me unfulfilled. Leaving me empty as I watched her still body lying across my fan in some obscure offering. So I called it a boring match.

            A boring match it was, but I would have done it again to see this creature (that suddenly had so much power over me) fight again. Watch her closed expression light with the energy of using perfect chakra. Of course I never would, she was now below my standards to fight again without killing her. Deep inside I knew I didn't want to kill her.

            So I tossed her body off of my fan, throwing her towards the nearest wall. I didn't expect her to ever make it there; somehow I knew that her teammate (Rock Lee was it?) would catch her. Yell at me, and then help her onto the gurney to the hospital. Absently I followed the ninjas taking her there.

            Finding myself here. Standing over her body covered in a smattering of white bandages stained with pink or red in some spots. The blood around her lips had been wiped away, and her hair had been taken down. There was a cut running along her cheek bone that would heal and not scar. All these I took in. I watched her even breathing, the twitch of her eyes as if she were seeing something behind her eyelids. And I wondered that if maybe she was playing the fight over in her head like I was? Even when unconscious she was observing?

            I watched her eyes flicker for awhile, wishing they were open so I could see her brown eyes. Maybe see if there was a hint of gray hint of gray in them. Yet, at the same time I was glad she wasn't awake. It would be what I deserved if she glared at me, or was indifferent, but I was content here. Watching her like all those times before our fight. Only now she looked vulnerable, her hair was down and she appeared so feminine. Much more than before with the soft curly dark brown strands framing her pale face. A face wrapped in bandages because of me.

            Carefully I gave into my urge to touch her hair; finding it to be softer than I thought. Not like silk hair, which was cold and slick and much too thing, but like a well loved cotton shirt. Soft, downy and unbelievably remarkable. Making her as unique as I had always seen her. I ran my hand across a lock of hair that had been strewn over the back of the pillow. Wrapping it around my finger and bending to kiss it. Tasting, smelling sweat from our fight and probably many before hand. Adding to the vibrant and somewhat tomboyish appearance she had.

            Never in my life had I been so drawn to another person that was weaker than me in so many ways. I guess that she was stronger then me in some aspects of course, but I like to think of myself as stronger. I stood straight again, letting the lock of brown hair unravel from my finger and bringing it to my mouth to kiss. And then I gave into another urge. I bent towards her face. Feeling my large fan press into my back, reminding me of what I am, what I always have been. Making me wonder when I became so compulsive.

            Yet, the urge was stronger than the fan trying to remind me, remind the demon in me, of what I am. So I bent closer, smelling her unique smell the closer to her face I got. Sweat, a light musk that must have been a perfume, and drying blood. Slowly I sunk closer, ignoring my surroundings until I was mere centimeters from her colorless, but full lips. The bottom lip much fuller than the top one, giving her a slight pout naturally I noticed. She would be able to have anyone with her lips alone I observed. Then I could think too much, or I was thinking all at once, because my lips were pressed to hers.

            Shooting delightful tingles across my skin that raised goose bumps. Before I wanted to I was pulling away. Nipping her bottom lip with the barest of a kiss and snapping straight up. Not caring that my fan obviously wasn't secure enough for those marvelous brown eyes were open. I blinked, she had been awake? For how long? I was frozen with shock, although it was a controlled shock. An unbecoming blush was moving its way up my neck in uncomfortable heat under her wide eyed scrutiny.

            Her mouth opened as if to speak and I hurriedly grabbed my fan from the floor and bolted the room.

*~*~*

The End!

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I absolutely love Temari and I just couldn't help myself! Please review since you even read it! All would be greatly appreciated!


	2. Author's Notes

Attention one and all! My husband and best friend, Hyatt Insomnia, has written the sequel to this! To read the fic go to the link below.

You'll have to copy and paste and then take out the spaces. This was the only way I could get everyone to know about the update!

h t t p : / / w w w . f a n f i c t i o n . n e t / r e a d . p h p ? s t o r y i d = 1 5 1 5 3 2 6

Also, a thanks to my reviewers (yes, even a thanks to **Nyrgoalie** who somewhat flamed me, but then said sorry after I explained my story!)

**Hyatt Insomnia** – For the most obvious reason of writing TenTen like she ought to be written. I, sadly enough, cannot write TenTen to save my life. *le sigh* Okay, I could if I tried and this story hadn't turned out to be another of my babies, but I like what Hyatt did with TenTen better! *glomps hubby* thank you so much!

**Baka**** Mazoku – I'm glad you liked this, and thank you so much for the review!**

**Farmer Blob** – Well, here my greedy little reviewer! Enjoy what my husband has to offer!

**Twerp** - Well, I am planning on doing a lot more with this couple. It is my signature Naruto couple. So expect much more from it. Thank you for reviewing!

**Kaira-chan** – Well, I'm glad that you still liked the fic! And this fic itself will probably have one or two more continuations, but then my husband and I are going to start a fic arc with this couple.

**book**** eater – your review made me blush the most! All that praise made me happy and flustered. And Like I said before, I shall have at least one more chapter to go with Hyatt's partner piece and then maybe one more after that. You can always look forward to reading the fic arc we are planning though!**

**Morien Alexander** – thank you…but I think a medal might be boosting my ego too much!

**Moi** – Yes, I think I did write the first ever yuri fiction for Naruto and that makes me laugh. Maybe I can start a revolution! *cackles* okay, maybe not, but I am glad you enjoyed this. Thank you for reviewing!

**kissenliebe – I'm glad I helped you with something you needed! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Pike** – Read a few of the above comments on sequals and more Temari yuri/shojo-ai. You really think I wrote the best Temari fic? *blushes* Well thank you ever so much!

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They were all nice to read. (yes, even my negative one).

~Jade Maxwell~


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